Puar
| JapName=プーアル| RomName=Pūaru| AniName=Puar| Yetname=Pu'er| MangaName=Pu'ar| AltName=Pu'erh Squeeker Pool Plume Pual Pualuu| CanonTo=Original Manga| FirstApp=Manga: "Yamcha and Pu'ar" Anime: "Yamcha the Desert Bandit"| Race=Unknown, possibly some type of cat| Date of birth=743 Age| Date of death=| Height=| Weight=| FamConnect= Yamcha (Best Friend)|}} is a character in the Dragon Ball metaseries created by Akira Toriyama. In the Harmony Gold dub from the 1980s, the character is known as Squeeker (not Sparkles, as is commonly quoted),The first attempt at dubbing the ''Dragon Ball'' anime was in the late 1980s by Harmony Gold, which featured bizarre name changes for nearly all the characters and was voiced by Cheryl Chase. Though sharing an appearance to that of a mouse or cat, Puar is neither species, but is drawn a little bit to look like a cat. (Oolong even refers to Puar as a cat in "The History of Trunks")Dragon Ball manga, Akira Toriyama's "Ask Me Anything!" Corner, p. 196. The name is a pun on Pu-erh tea.Dragon Ball manga, Akira Toriyama's "Ask Me Anything!" Corner, p. 194. Background history Often soft-spoken at times, Puar serves as Yamcha's constant companion. The two were originally a pair of desert thieves, robbing travelers whom would cross the area where they lived. On one such occasion, they finally meet Goku, Bulma and Oolong. The latter is recognized by Puar as an old schoolmate.Dragon Ball manga, pp. 118-121. Some time after the meeting, the five of them team up and go on a hunt for the Dragon Balls, and eventually aid each other on later adventures. During the very earliest sagas of Dragon Ball, Puar would sometimes use shapeshifting to help the protagonists on their adventures. (For example, taking the form of another person, becoming a sharp object, etc.) At Fortuneteller Baba's Palace where the last Dragon Ball had to be found, Puar teamed up with Upa to stop Fangs the Vampire, which they did with ease. Puar came out to help Yamcha when he was knocked unconscious and had his leg shattered at the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, changing into a magic carpet for transport. However, as the manga and anime progress (before even the start of Dragon Ball Z) Puar is eventually reduced to the role of a background character. As the driving theme of the manga/anime is mostly fighting, Puar can do little more than react to the horrors of the latest and greatest villain. Puar makes two cameo appearances in Dragon Ball GT; episodes 40, Piccolo's Decision, and 64, Until We Meet Again. By the end of Dragon Ball GT, Yamcha returns to his vagabond life in the desert with Puar. Puar hosts Yamcha's Tournament in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. Also puar has the ability to shapeshift better than her rival Oolong. Alternate timeline Puar is one of the few characters to survive in the "Trunks Timeline", as seen in the television special The History of Trunks. Puar is seen hidden in a submarine with Oolong, Master Roshi and Turtle. Gender There has been some debate regarding Puar's gender, despite being voiced by only female voice actors. The character was referred to as female numerous times in Saban's edited English version of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, although Toriyama has indicated in interviews that he had considered Puar male while writing the manga. In the Japanese versions, Puar refers to himself/herself as boku and is sometimes referred to as Puar''-kun, hinting male characteristics. Despite indications of masculinity, when Puar faints in the English dub of "The Power of Nappa", Roshi reassures Oolong by saying, "She'll be okay". In addition, Bulma tells Oolong to "Go help her!" in episode 12 of ''Dragon Ball. Puar is also refered to as female on Funimation's Dragon Ball website. Powers and abilities Puar has the innate ability of flight or self-levitation as seen throughout the series. Having also learned how to master Shapeshifting by graduating from the Shapeshifting Academy, Puar can transform into anything, even inanimate objects. Unlike Oolong, Puar can hold a form as long as necessary, although strength is not increased by the transformation and Puar is still unable to turn into something that can be used up, like fuel or food. Trivia *The Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game lists Puar as Changeling race. Voice actors * Japanese Dub: Naoko Watanabe * Ocean Group dub: Kathy Morse (1995 Dragon Ball dub) Cathy Weseluck (Dragon Ball Z) * Funimation dub: Monika Antonelli * Latin American Dub: Jesús Barrero (first half DB) and Cristina Camargo (rest) Notes and references External links * Character profile at http://www.absoluteanime.com/ de:Pool Category:Characters who can fly Category:Animals Category:Former Villains